The City of Pittsburgh will officially kick off the holiday season with the annual City Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday.
Festivities begin at Noon on the City-County Building Portico. The Salvation Army Brass Ensemble will entertain with seasonal favorites and Pittsburgh's own "3TG" will sing carols. Following the ceremony the Sonorilo Handbell Choir will perform. Local mascots including Santa, the Pirate Parrot, Iceburgh and Buster will be in attendance.
Mayor William Peduto is attending the National League of Cities Congress of Cities in Austin, Texas this week and will not be in attendance to light the tree. In partnership with Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, AJ Mendoza, 3, has been selected to perform the honors of lighting the city holiday tree this season. Mendoza’s parents, Kristina and Alex Mendoza, will also be in attendance.
Complimentary refreshments will be provided by the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and Starbucks. The Salvation Army will be present until 1:00 p.m. collecting non-perishable food items or monetary donations for their annual drive.
WHAT:
The City of Pittsburgh Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony
WHERE:
City-County Building Portico – 414 Grant Street, Pittsburgh
WHEN:
Noon, Friday, November 21, 2014
· We are still in the midst of demolition for the ACHD site. We expect to complete ACHD demo by the end of November. We are currently sifting through the now demolished building,completing foundations removal, and then will start demo to the 2 neighboring houses. They should be done by mid-December
· Shoring of the site is expected to begin in December.
· As for impacts to pedestrians and vehicle traffic, we will close the Fifth Avenue sidewalk in November to allow for water and gas services to 3342 Fifth to be relocated. This will result in detouring pedestrians to the opposite side of the street. When excavation starts, probably in December, we will close the Forbes Ave sidewalk and the Forbes Ave parking lane. This seems to be the safest and most efficient way to keep the project moving with minimal disruption to pedestrian and vehicle traffic. An MPT plan (maintenance and protection of traffic) has been prepared and approved for both closures by Pgh DPW.
The Pgh Zoo announced Friday that kids will be admitted free to the zoo for the next two weeks.
Children ages 13 and under receive free admission with a paying adult starting Saturday through Nov. 30.
"During this time of year we all have much to be thankful for, and this is a great way for the Zoo to thank everyone in the community for their support," says Jaime Szoszorek, director of marketing and public relations. "Visiting in November is a great time. The cooler temperatures mean the animals are more active, plus we do have indoor areas such as the Tropical Forest, PPG Aquarium, Water's Edge, and Worlds of Discovery for families to enjoy."
The zoo is closed on Thanksgiving Day.